The development of sick-nursing is one of the most notable features of modern social life. This book presents the history of the modern nursing and its development by a pioneer nurse named Florence Nightingale.
Nursing is as old as the human species. Even among animals, such as they are at present, we find occasional sympathy with fellow-suffering, and meet with efforts for the purpose of relief. We cannot imagine that human beings, in ever so remote prehistoric times, should have lived together, or near each other, without mutual attempts at relief, when suffering or sick. But this is presumption only, not history. No book, no tradition refers to facts in regard to the subject until the times of ancient Hellas and its successor in civilization, ancient Rome. Antiquity yields but few proofs of systematic nursing.
The evolution of the sick-nurse is mainly due to three very diverse influences—religion, war and science — to name them in chronological order...